Chris O’Leary
Edmonton Journal
Weldon Brown doesn’t necessarily like being the invisible man, but it’s working for him.
The humble Edmonton Eskimo halfback goes about his work – shutting down a who’s who of the Canadian Football League’s top receivers, breaking up passes and picking them off – without bravado. He does his job to little acclaim. He had 75 tackles last year, two quarter-back sacks, led the team with 11 knockdowns and four of his five interceptions came in a hot streak through a month late in the season.
There were no all-star awards, no weekly honours from the league, and when TSN made its top-50 players list this year, Brown narrowly missed out on that, too. Brown said that on a personal level, the lack of recognition could get to him. At the same time, the 25-year-old has the big picture in mind.
“I definitely need to be up there, just to showcase my skills on a personal level,” he said. “It never really bothered me at the same time – as long as we get that W, that’s all that matters.”
Brown will make his return to the lineup on Friday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, after a groin injury sidelined him for the last two games. He has seven tackles, one on special teams, a knockdown and one sack in three games played this year.
Eskimo head coach Kavis Reed isn’t in the dark on Brown. He’s gained an appreciation for his player’s work ethic.
“He’s a leader,” Reed said. “Weldon is not a rah-rah-rah guy but when I walked in at 6:30 (Wednesday) morning, Weldon was already in watching film. I would guarantee you when most of the guys are gone, Weldon’s going to be in watching film. “Weldon understands that he’s not a 4.3, 40 (yard dash). He’s not six (foot) two, 215 pounds. He’s a diminutive guy that’s adequately fast, but he works on his craft so much and he’s in anticipation mode, which is tremendously great for a defensive back, versus in re-action mode.”
Brown said he’s always been that kind of player. If his wife, Twila, weren’t here for the summer, he said he might never leave Commonwealth Stadium.
“If my wife wasn’t here, I’d be here from six (a.m.) until eight o’clock (p.m.). I spend most of my time here,” he said. With Twila expecting a child (“I’m hoping it’s a boy,” Brown said, beaming) in late November or early December and heading back to their home in Louisiana shortly to resume teaching, those overnighters at the stadium could soon become a reality. “That’s why he makes plays,” Reed said. “I think he’s an all-star corner, an all-star halfback in this league.”
With the credit and recognition not quite there yet, Reed stated emphatically that Brown is underrated.
“Yes. I don’t think he is; I know he is,” Reed said. “Internally, not championing what his status is because I’m his coach, I’m saying what I see as a talent: Weldon Brown is an all-star player in this league.”
“There’s nothing assuming about him. He’s just a guy that goes around, he’s No. 35 – even the number is unassuming. I mean, he’s just a blue-collar worker,” Reed said.
With the secret on Brown threatening to boil over this season, he said he’s going out to have his best season yet.
“My first year (in 2010), not knowing what’s going on with this league, with the different rules and things, I grew,” he said.
“My potential has grown each and every year and I make sure I try and grow. If I’m not growing, I’m not in the right place and I don’t want to be there.”
coleary@edmontonjournal.com
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